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Decatur’s Straley is ‘Tough Guy of Year’

BERLIN- Just as Stephen Decatur’s varsity football season came to a close last weekend, so to did another year of the Atlantic Physical Therapy “Tough Guy of the Week” awards with Josh Straley collecting the coveted “Tough Guy of the Year” award on Tuesday night during the team’s awards banquet at Seacrets.

Most of the accolades in football at any level are reserved for the glamour guys, the golden-armed quarterbacks and fleet running backs who put points on the board and thrill the crowds, but the weekly “Tough Guy” award is handed out to the Decatur player who most exemplifies the spirit and Seahawk football.

Started six years ago by Atlantic Physical Therapy president Bob Hammond, the weekly ATP “Tough Guy of the Week” award acknowledges the efforts of an individual player, or sometimes a unit on the team, that does the little things to help the team win that don’t necessarily show up in the box score.

The coaches know who they are and their teammates certainly know the little things they do to make the team better, but the average fan in the stands might not recognize their accomplishments amid the glory of another victory. The ATP “Tough Guy” award recognizes those players.

After every Decatur game, Hammond presents a trophy to the tough guy of the week. At the end of the season, a “Tough Guy of the Year” award is presented to the player who best represented the qualities of the award week in and week out during the season.

This season’s “Tough Guy of the Year” award went to Josh Straley, who won the award two times during the season and best exemplified the spirit of Decatur football. Other weekly winners throughout the season included Delonte Tate (twice), Dylan Drew, Tyler Hartrim, John Lewis, John Rich, and Kyle Leslie.